The Ministry of External Affairs dismissed the claims made by the Indian media that the Lankan Airmen sent to South India for training were returning to Sri Lanka due to political pressure from elements in Tamil Nadu.

“This is not true, they have completed their first phase of training in Chennai and will now travel to Bangalore for the second phase of training. There is no question of political pressure,” Public Communication Director General Sarath Dissanayake told Daily Mirror today.

The nine Airmen had been sent to the Indian Air Force Station at Tambaran in Tamil Nadu for their first phase of training.